


When Gavin Was Left Alone

by MarvelMerlin



Series: DBH Major Character Death [4]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Heavy Angst, Its just angst, M/M, Multi, No Fluff, Other, Suicide, and IT HURTSSSS, four lines at the end, this is just angst, unless you count the like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:42:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26923054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvelMerlin/pseuds/MarvelMerlin
Summary: MAJOR TW FOR SUICIDE!Gavin was human. He’d come to terms with that fact a long time ago, but his partners were not. Their unaging, unchanging faces meant many things, and in the back of his mind was the idea that one day, Gavin would die, and Connor and Nines would keep living without him.Or so they thought.
Relationships: Connor/Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: DBH Major Character Death [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2148084
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	When Gavin Was Left Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Emrys (oswiniarty) for telling me to write angst and then swearing at me PROFUSELY as the beta-read it

Gavin was human. He’d come to terms with that fact a long time ago, but his partners were not. Their unaging, unchanging faces meant many things, and in the back of his mind was the idea that one day, Gavin would die, and Connor and Nines would keep living without him.

It was an ever-present thought, had been since they began their relationships, and he was sure that he would be the first to die. All three of them were.

Connor had analyzed every possible option as they prepared to corner a suspect. Nines had backed up his analysis with his own, more advanced, precontructions.

They left Gavin outside with the other humans for safety. 

Nines went first, he always went first. He was bulletproof. Nothing was able to rip through his kevlar plating.

Nothing _should’ve_ been able to rip through his kevlar plating.

But they stepped inside the abandoned building and both androids registered several, quick ticking noises.

_[Nines-]_

_[Connor-]_

They communicated the other’s name wordlessly before the flash and the bang. Connor’s audio processors fritzed, trying to calibrate the noise as the explosion sent Nines flying back into him, and the two of them into a wall that collapsed on top of them.

Connor’s HUD lit up with warnings, bio components compromised, though none were critical or shut-down inducing. He reached out and grabbed Nines’ hand, interfacing with him.

Connor screamed.

Nines’ hand was soaked in thirium, slick and cold, and his kevlar plating was destroyed, curved into his chest and digging into the tubing connected to his thirium pump. Nines’ thirium pump was stuttering and his LED was irregularly blinking bright red.

“Connor! Nines!” Gavin’s shouting, desperate voice was somewhere above them. “Hold on! We’ll get you out of there!”

“Ga-vn,” Nines’ voice was robotic whistling tones and Connor shook his head.

“Come on, Nines, hold on. You can survive this.”

Nines looked up at Connor, knowingly. They were both seeing the shutdown timer slowly counting down in his HUD. 

_1:23_

_1:22_

_1:21_

Gavin’s voice echoed back. “Come on, you fucking androids, you need to hold on.”

_[You heard him, Nines.]_

_[Trying.]_

Even his interface voice was robotic. He was gripping Connor’s hand tight.

A large piece of rubble over their heads was removed and the light of day came streaming down. Connor blinked up at the light, his eyes finding Gavin’s face.

His smiling, relieved face, until he looked down to Nines. His smile dropped, and he clambered over the rubble down next to them.

“Nines, talk to me tin can, c’mon,” Gavin’s voice was frantic.

Nines weakly lifted his other hand towards Gavin, who wrapped his hands around it. The fake skin was stripped back on both hands, the soft blue glow stuttering and weak.

“Gavin, 45 seconds,” Connor whispered, feeling the thirium tears stain his cheeks.

“No. _No._ This isn’t how it’s supposed to _be_. I’m the human. I’m supposed to be the one that dies.” Gavin gripped his hand tight, and Connor felt the sensors in Nines’ hands pick up the racing heartbeat of their human boyfriend.

“Gav-n. C-nn-r.” Nines’ robotic whistling grew weaker. “Love you.”

“Nines _no._ Come on. _Please_.”

Connor ran his free hand through Nines’ hair, whispering in equally robotic tones, aware of his LED flickering from yellow to red. “I love you too, Nines.”

Gavin’s eyes shot to Connor, terrified. “Connor, are you-”

“I’m functioning. Not in danger of shutdown.” He looked back down to their dying partner. “Nines shielded me.”

“ _Idiot_.” Gavin sobbed, and Nines smiled weakly.

“Do- don-t f-forgt m-me,” Nines stuttered out.

“Never.” Gavin whispered.

Connor shook his head. “Not possible.”

“K-kiss m-me.” 

_0:12_

Gavin leaned down, sobbing, and pressed his lips to Nines’ for the last time. Connor leaned down after Gavin pulled back and did the same.

Nines’ lips extended the interface, and he finished the memory bank transfer he’d been doing from the moment he and Connor had begun to interface.

_[Remind him how much I love him when I’m gone.]_

_[We can reactivate you, we could find a way-]_

_[No. I’d be undeviated again. I won’t go through that, I won’t put you through that.]_

_0:05_

Connor nodded. “Goodbye, Nines. Wait for us, if there's something beyond.”

Nines weakly squeezed their hands. “M-my l-loves.” 

His LED flickered out and Gavin collapsed into Connor, sobbing. Connor felt Nines die. Felt him slip away. Felt him _cease_.

He was numb as he wrapped his arm around Gavin’s shoulder. 

His mind was quiet for the first time in five years. Nines had always been a constant presence in his mind, gently reminding him to take breaks and suggesting new ideas. Now, the corner of his HUD reserved for Nines’ communications was empty. His voice was _gone_.

A sob wracked through Connor’s body as he clung to Gavin, their hands stained with Nines’ thirium.

Gavin’s hands didn’t stop shaking after that day. Connor and Gavin both retired, they couldn’t keep going to work and seeing Nines’ empty desk. Even worse was the day when the desk had been given to another android.

They _tried_ to move on. But everywhere was a reminder of the man they loved that had died. 

He was in the kitchen, glaring at the over-complicated coffee machine Connor had gotten Gavin for Christmas.

He was in the sad meows of Peaches as she padded around the apartment searching for Nines. 

He was in the empty space on the other side of Connor’s body as they slept and went into stasis. 

Gavin and Connor retreated into each other from anything even remotely public until Markus asked Connor for a favour on the tenth anniversary of the revolution. 

“You’re the reason we won, Connor. If it weren’t for you, we’d all be dead. The androids you deviated want to thank you.”

Connor looked at Gavin, his hands trembling around his coffee mug. The two of them had a wordless exchange that ended with a nod.

Connor looked back to the video call. “Okay. We’ll be there.”

“I know it’ll be hard for you, both of you. But thank you,” Markus said, and then disconnected the call.

Connor reached his hand out and placed it on Gavin’s wrist, his fake skin peeling back and revealing the softly glowing chassis. “Are you sure?”

Gavin smiled. “You’re a hero, Connor. This is part of that.”

Connor frowned. “I just did what was needed-”

Gavin rolled his eyes fondly. “Connor, you know what he’d say.”

Connor sighed. “I still saved lives.”

“Exactly.” Gavin stood and crossed to Connor, placing a trembling hand on the android’s cheek. “I love you.” 

Connor smiled up at Gavin, turning his head to press a kiss to the human’s palm. “I love you too.”

A Jericho assistant arrived that afternoon. The ceremony was to take place over the evening with speeches and talks, the whole nine yards. Gavin and Connor were escorted into a waiting car with tinted windows, and police cars in front and behind, lights flashing.

Gavin focused on anywhere _but_ the flashing lights. They both knew that if Nines were still here he’d be the one commanding security for this event. He’d already started preliminary plans when he’d-

“He should be here,” Connor whispered.

Gavin wrapped an arm around Connor’s shoulders, pulling him close. “I know, love.”

Connor sighed, brushing a tear from his eye. “I thought it was supposed to get _easier._ ”

“I don’t know who told you that, but it _certainly_ wasn’t me.” Gavin pressed a kiss to Connor’s head. “It never gets easier, just more bearable.”

“I don’t want to be left alone, Gavin.”

Gavin gently rubbed Connor’s shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, plastic. Not for a few more decades, at least.”

They pulled up to the camp memorial, cameras flashing. Connor straightened and Gavin pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You got this.” 

Connor sighed and stepped out, joining Markus, North, Josh and Simon on the small platform that had been set up. 

Gavin was escorted to a seat a few rows back, where he watched Markus give a speech, followed by the mayor, a former governor, and the current president. Gavin kept his eyes trained on Connor and his hands firmly in his pocket.

He saw Connor’s eyes zone out, the tell tale sign of a preconstruct. Gavin frowned and went to turn when he heard a gunshot and Connor was diving for Markus. The first bullet missed Markus, landing in Connor. More bullets followed, all aimed at Markus, whom Connor was shielding.

Gavin whipped around and tackled the gunman, pulling the weapon from his grasp and throwing it at the feet of the approaching police. He turned on his heel and ran to the small crowd at the platform, elbowing people out of his way.

He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. One he hadn’t felt in five years.

When North caught sight of him, she reached through the crowd and yanked him through to the centre. 

Gavin screamed.

Markus had his hands in Connor’s chest, desperately trying to put him back together, and failing. Connor’s LED was quickly blinking red.

Gavin collapsed next to his boyfriend. 

“Ga-vn.” Connor’s robotic voice reached Gavin’s ears.

“No no no no no,” Gavin repeated, glaring at Markus. “ _Fix him_.” 

The leader’s eyes were trained on the open cavity of Connor’s chest. “I’m _trying_.”

“Gav-Gav,” Connor stuttered, closing his eyes. “Ga-vn. P-lease.”

Gavin took Connor’s hand, pressing a kiss to his thirium covered fingers. Connor weakly shoved Markus away. “S-top.”

“Connor, run diagnostics,” Gavin whispered.

Connor’s eyes refocused on Gavin. “S-shutdown imminent.”

“ _Connor_.” Gavin’s voice was broken, quiet and heavy.

“S-so-rrrry. D-don’t w-want to l-leav-v-ve.”

Gavin pulled Connor into his arms, holding the android close. “Sh, it's okay. You’ll be okay.”

“S-see N-nin-n-n-s.”

“You will, you will.” Gavin couldn’t stop the tears rolling down his cheek.

“L-love y-you.”

Gavin felt his heart crack. “I love you too, you plastic prick.”

Connor weakly pressed a kiss to Gavin’s fingers. “G-goodbye.”

Gavin leaned down and pressed his lips to Connor’s as his LED flickered out and his body stilled.

Gavin’s heart shattered. 

He was alone. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder, Hank’s hand, as he knelt down next to them.

“Gavin I’m-”

“Don’t.” Gavin shrugged off his hand. “Just... _Don’t_.”

Gavin gently closed Connor’s eyes, brushing his hair back into place. His hands were shaking even harder as he pulled his boyfriend’s body to his chest and sobbed.

The people stood around them, silent, most of them dispersing as the police escorted them away. 

He could hear the soft beating of Markus’ thirium pump nearby, knew that Markus still had the people he cared for. All these people did.

All these people and Gavin was alone.

He caught sight of the firearm at Hank’s side, and let Connor slip from his grasp as he grabbed the gun, hands not shaking for the first time in over five years. He pressed it against his own head, and pulled the trigger, before anyone could stop him.

“Gavin.”

“You _left me alone_.”

Gavin was wrapped in Nines’ arms with Connor between them, surrounded by bright light.

“We’re not leaving.” Connor said, his fingers in Gavin’s hair.

“You were never alone. You never will be.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna yell at me/talk bout this (or other) stories/ships I'm on twitter @marvelmerlin and on Tumblr @marvelmerlinao3


End file.
